Karen Stone Bio
Having come from a family of fine art lovers and collectors, there was never a question of the direction I would follow. Wonderful art teachers grew my capabilities. Pléin air outings with established Rockport, Massachusetts artists taught me the discipline of thinking and working as a professional. With a four year stay in a girls boarding school, I had plenty of time to devote to my passion for drawing and painting. My muse was an eccentric and gifted art teacher (and established artist in her own right) who devoted many extra hours for my personal growth. She taught me how to "see".
The Rhode Island School of Design, was the perfect training ground for life as an artist and generalist. Upon graduating, I landed a position in a corporate marketing department and began my career as a graphic designer and photographer. From there, I formed a marketing/communications firm with yet another mentor. From there I moved on to running a community arts center, became Director of Community Relations and Fund Raising for a local hospital (both in Nashua, NH) and ultimately founded a commercial printing company that was ranked in the top 10% of all printing companies in the US. By this time, I had been deepy involved in sales.
In 1997, after not having painted for many years, I was invited on a two-week painting trip to southern France by a group of women artists from New Hampshire. At that time I experiencied a rebirth of my passion for painting. That was all the encouragement I needed. Upon my retirement my husband and I moved to Naples, FL where I began painting in ernest and established ArtGallery OldNaples (2003), my studio/gallery in old Naples. In 2008 I formed a partnership with Lynne B, Wilcox and we established ArtGallery OldNaples2 in a nearby locaton.The gallery existed until May of 2015 when urban
development resulted in its closing.
My medium of choice is soft pastel. Although formally trained in oils, pastel provides me with a medium that's a cross between drawing and painting with lucious color, intensity, and immediacy. Although I've begun to paint in oil once again, pastel still holds my heart.
My first teaching opportunity was offered by the Center for the Arts in Bonita Springs, just north of Naples. I loved the experience and now occasionally teach pléin air classes to a small number of students.
Recognition on both local and national levels for my works in both still life and landscape has indeed humbled me. Painting remains as exciting and challengiing as it always was in my early days as a student.
I have been featured in Naples Illustrated, Naples Daily News and Pastel Journal.
I'd love to show you my selected works. Please open the GALLERY navigational tool and click on Karen Stone.